Guarded
by TheConstantPrincess
Summary: Teenage Kate is having a hard time coping with her life - her mother hires a therapist... What happens when Kate manages to lure the middle-aged man into falling in love with her? But is that really the worst thing? Jack/Kate.
1. Alone

_Hey you guys, Uh this is my first fiction on here -but I've been practising writing for a long time to myself. I wanted to make it slightly edgy -but disturbed. I have a thing for disturbed stories. Can you guys please review it would really be the sweetest thing ever._

_Summary: Teenage Kate is having a hard time coping with her life - her mother hires a therapist... What happens when Kate manages to lure the middle-aged man into falling in love with her? But is that really the worst thing? Jack/Kate. _

_The summary may be rated upwards after the first few chapters.. I don't quite know yet. Anyways, Let me know what you guys think.. here goes)_

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Chapter 1. Alone.

"Kate..!"

Silence.

"Kate!?"

Kate sighed pushing her bedroom door open and trudging down the wooden steps coming face to face with her Mother.

"What?" she hissed her teenage edge coming through her words.

"Dinner.." her mother announced and Kate gave her a questioning look, wondering where the motherhood was coming from; normally she'd just leave something on the counter for Kate to devour.

Kate always gave Diane a hard time, but as hard as she tried to smile at her;

She just couldn't. She'd tried - and failed more than once and after a year of trying she gave up. Wayne had really screwed this family up. When he first came Kate had been thirteen, and she hated him right from the start, it hadn't been because he was stealing her mother it was because he looked at her so.. Strangely, she couldn't find the right word. He looked dirty; he was dirty. On Kate's fourteenth birthday he had come knocking on Kate's door.

Diane believed Kate when she told her, but as pleading as Diane was for Kate to forgive her she never broke up with Wayne. It had turned Kate on a spiral downwards. She never went to school anymore, it had been embarrassing enough trying to hide the emotional scars everyday when teachers had asked what was wrong, but after that she had been trying to hide the physical scars all over her body, the bruises across her jaw, the scratches on her arms and that was a lot harder.

So she had drunk and got stoned instead, following the path of her alcoholic mother, guys had liked her that way; everyone else liked her that way. The fun Kate; the one who didn't cry every night… the one who loved everyone she saw and didn't let the emotions in.

After Kate's fifteenth birthday, Wayne had just left; just went out one day and never came back, Kate hoped he had been murdered but she knew he had only gotten bored and moved on to another helpless family. Diane had sobered up after that. She sent Kate to a rehab clinic… a rehab clinic, every time she thought of that she grinned. A sixteen year old in a rehab clinic. Of course, it had failed. Every time they thought they had gotten through to her she would always end up going back to herself. It was easier that way.

So she followed Diane into the unused dining room and eyed up the stranger sitting at the table; another one of Diane's men. This guy didn't really look like a sleaze though; his white shirt had been opened pleasantly revealing his toned chest, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore a handsome smile accenting his big brown eyes and floppy brown hair.

"Hey Kate." he offered holding his hand out for her to shake. She refused sitting down across from him, her eyes narrowed cautiously. He nodded as if he had been expecting her rudeness, and Diane gave him an apologizing look "Kate's just - Well, a bit off today."

Kate snorted deliberately and a let a sarcastic smirk cross her face "Yeah, An _off_ day."

The man nodded again "That's okay. I'm Jack." he introduced, as if _she_ cared.

"I would tell you my name, but you just said it."

"Katherine.." her mother pleaded, "Please don't be so rude, she means its lovely to meet you Jack." She looked from Kate to Jack nervously "I have some chicken in the oven, I'll be right back."

"Who are you?" Kate asked when Diane finally left the room; she leaned forward and placed her chin in her outstretched hand leaning against the table. "Another one of my mama's men-whores?" she gave a pathetic laugh to her own joke.

He shook his head smiling slightly too, she was surprised "No." He wasn't giving her anything so she continued trying her best to challenge him;

"So who are you then? Let me guess.. Hmm a whack from school trying to persuade me to go?"

He shook his head again chuckling "No, Kate. I'm not _trying_ to persuade you to do anything."

"Oh.." She bit her lip expectantly waiting for him to say something, but he didn't he just watched her squirm in her seat. "So.." she began again.. "Are you mystery man or something?"

"No, I'm not that either, I'm someone here to try and help you."

She licked her lips, forcefully trying to put an edge to her words "What? Help me?" She was trying to stay dominant in this conversation, but realising she was at a loss she shrugged.

"I'm a councillor," Jack admitted and watched as her face scrunched up and she sighed reluctantly. "Your mother hired me to help you."

"Guess what?" she asked, a wicked smirk playing on her face "I don't need help." she lowered her voice to a sarcastic whisper "If your such a good councillor you'd have realised my mother is the one who need help."

"I never said I was good," he stated, silently keeping his eyes on her as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms protectively. "But guess what?" he mimicked her own whispering voice; she shrugged again, telling him how nonchalant she was. "You do need help."

She huffed gently, tears stinging her eyes "No I don't." she tugged at her brown hair consciously "She does, I wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for her stupid boyfriend."

She stood up, hissing at him gently. He stood up too leaning into her, his breath tickling her face "Be like what?"

"Like what, Kate?" he insisted again when she failed to answer him. She spluttered a cough in his face and turned on her heel fleeing from the room "I _don't_ need any help."

"You can let yourself out." she said, somewhat aggravated.

"I'm not going to do that." he called out towards her as he heard her feet pounding up the stairs. Diane returned into the room a second later supporting a tearful face "Oh dear." she muttered desperately as the council engulfed her in a hug, promising her he'd 'fix' her daughter.

-

Kate sat on her bed, her hands holding her soaking face. She was rocking back and forth taking a swig from the bottle she was holding. Why did she have to cry again? That stupid man had hit a nerve in her. Why did everything have to be so fucked up? Why was life like this..? She figured being a normal person would be even worse than this. Boring, pointless. Everything _was_ pointless. A knock on the door sent her to push the bottle under the bed and wipe her face.

She figured it was her mother, going to say something stupid - or give out, either way Kate wasn't interested. Yet, the door opened and it revealed Jack, the councillor. She tightened her jaw, waiting for him to apologize for walking in on her.

Especially the way she was, dressed only in her black bra and panties, covered slightly by her black dressing gown. Her mascara had obviously run down her face by now. Her face reddened at him seeing her so teary-eyed. But he didn't apologize; he sat beside her, so close she could hear his light breaths. Then feel his hand on her tense back, she struggled away nervously, standing up and wrapping her silk dressing gown around herself "What do you want?"

He held one hand out gesturing for her to relax "I came to talk."

"Why? I already told you I didn't-"

He cut over her "You didn't need it?" His soft voice had become a lot rougher "You want me to believe that? Really Kate? Even after I come in here to see you crying and smell your breath? Where is it Kate?"

She shrugged, "Where's what?"

"The bottle of whatever you're drinking."

She let an airy breath turn into a chuckle "Whatever, man. Trust me, I can handle it."

"Okay." he stood up again, cornering her slightly "So Kate, tell me why you're crying."

She sniffled "I'm not." She wrapped her arms around herself giving him a disapproving look "If you want to help me so bad, you can just leave now." she spluttered, but he didn't budge, she hadn't really expected him to.

"What do you want me to say?" she questioned "Oh yes, sir, I'm a wreck. I drink every night I get stoned let's all cry for Kate- Boohoo."

He shook his head "Wow."

"Wow what?"

"Your mom's right." it was obvious he was acting now, egging her on, so she refused to answer or question his statement. "You are a handful. But Kate, I _don't_ feel sorry for you."

Stunned, she stepped back, she wasn't expecting _that_ "You have someone you can trust, someone you can tell everything to do, and you wont. You're being selfish putting your mother through hell and you don't even care."

He was a strange councillor, but he definitely hit a nerve, she pushed him away from cornering her and turned to hide the tear that had fallen down her face, she grabbed the bottle from beneath the bed and took a reviving sip of vodka.

He tugged her arm making her face him and held onto her so strongly she couldn't push him away. So instead she leaned forward "Of course I care." she whispered vulnerably, but she kept her voice persistent on staying strong. Her face was less than an inch from his and she shuddered. He had her at an advantage now.

Seeing the fear creep into her features he dropped her wrists guiltily slightly glad he had gotten through to her somewhat.

"I want to love her." she mumbled, a desperate tinge entering her voice. "I just. . I just _can't_ not after what she did to me."

He stopped for a moment, and she saw the face she saw people giving her everyday the _I feel sorry for you _look. Despite what he had said previously, she knew somewhere in his heart he did feel sorry for her.

The girl had opened up, he realised. It was easier than he had expected and he wondered if the bottle of vodka she was holding had anything to do with it. "What did she do to you?"

She raised a hand to her face biting her nail "Doesn't matter. ."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She shook her head at him the guarded look once more entering her green eyes "Aren't you done here yet? Has my mother given you enough money for another whole minute?" she widened her eyes dramatically at him.

"Alright." he backed away slowly "See you tomorrow Kate."


	2. Scars

_hey! omg **11 reviews**, that is sooooo **sweet** guys! it makes me a trillion times happy -apart from one!:S but i wont go into that! lol. i totally accept constructive critism. thanks so much again. thankyou. thankyou. thankyou. **THANKYOU**! haha._

_pleeease review again. i get soo happy when people review+sorry its been awhile too! i'm on an emotional roller-coaster lately haha! if i get near as many reviews ill update as soon as i can! thanks! hope you like the second chap 2!_

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2. Scars.

Kate sat on the grass playing with her hair, watching as Tom crossed her lawn and sat beside her awkwardly staring at her impatiently.

"What?" she snapped when he refused to speak "Why are you staring at me like _that_?"

He shrugged, something he had done too much lately "Katie.." his voice was so timid it made her slightly angry and she sighed reluctantly waiting for him to speak.

"Stop hurting yourself."

Suddenly conscious of his eyes she pulled at her sleeve trying to hide the scars under them. "How the fuck am I hurting myself Tom.."

He didn't make a move, it was obvious he was scared of her "Grow some balls, Tom." she muttered pulling herself up and leaving her garden.

She wasn't intending to look back but she came face to face with the therapist from the night before, and she had no choice but to turn the other way and hear the sacrificing comment from Tom "This isn't you Katie." and unfortunately Jack had heard it too.

"Kate.." he tried snatching her wrists in his hands once again, did he just like doing that? His fingers snatched on her sleeve revealing the red scars splattered horizontally across her wrist. She looked down, her expression somewhat scared, but then she shrugged. He lets his fingertips brush around them and turned to face her again saying gently "He's right Kate, this isn't you."

She pulled back, her face growing red as she heard the faint voice of Sawyer and Tom talking, "Let go," she hissed, agitated Sawyer would see her like this. Jack let go unwillingly and watched as her face turned from confident to shaky "I don't know you." she insisted pulling her sleeve down and walking away slowly her small back to him.

"Sawyer… Hey!"

Jack wondered if Kate had said it, her voice was so fake, but she had because the blonde boy's face lit up "Freckles!"

No movement from either to indicate they were having a conversation, and Jack sighed moving reluctantly towards the snappy teenager "Kate.." he whispered lowering his voice so only she could hear. She turned rapidly grunting through her teeth "shut-up, go away!"

He moved forward again this time pulling her arm with him "Let's go inside."

A shocked face from Kate turned to anger as she pulled back "I'm going out with Sawyer." Jack looked up to find the blonde staring at him incuriously, and watched as he stepped forward cautiously "Who's that dude?"

"Don't know." Kate lied taking the chance to leave "Let's go James."

He nodded and butted out the smoke he was holding in a lazy way "See you man."

"Don't come back." she hissed and tugged on Sawyer's outstretched hand.

Jack had no choice but to leave, he sighed and unwillingly began down the path towards Kate's house to wait for her there.

-

She was back just after midnight, Diane had sauntered up to bed willing Jack to go home, Jack denied her sitting patiently on the stairs watching as the handle turned and Kate trudged in her eyes red and puffy. She was obviously drunk.

"What?" she smirked shutting the door behind her and looking Jack up and down as he stood. She let a laugh fall from her mouth and pressed forwards; standing so close to Jack he could smell her intoxicated breath. He saw the freckles Sawyer had been talking about, and he finally remembered her true age the freckles giving false evidence towards her innocence.

Her green eyes once again challenged him "Why are you here, Jack? So you are fucking my mom."

He shook his head stepping briskly away from her "No, I just waited for-"

"For me?" She grinned and threw him a look of defiance "What _are_ you looking for Jack?"

There was a silence and she let herself breath out another suggestion "Do you want it?"

He shook his head again but this time incredulously "No, Kate! You're sixteen for fucks sake!"

"It's just a number."

"Yeah, well it shouldn't be." he stepped past her letting himself out "Turns out now's not a good time."

She couldn't help but let a crude laugh fall from her mouth. She had won this fight.

He cussed himself; he had waited so long for her to come home to be beaten and made feel like he was a pervert. He shook, this girl was far from different, she was so unique..

-

The next day, Kate awoke with a knock on her door. Expecting it to be her mother she made an inaudible groan and pushed herself further under the duvets.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

She felt herself blush, damn why was that councillor so obsessed? Why did he come around every time she moved?

She poked her head from under the duvet and gave him a look of annoyance before shifting in the bed "Don't you have better things to do than watch me sleep?" Her voice came out far more creaked and groggy than she felt and she cursed herself silently.

"Not really." came the instant reply and he sat beside her on her bed. She sat up too feeling at a disadvantage when she was lying down "Look, I'm tired, and we both know that this going nowhere. I just want to sleep Jack."

"You do look tired." he admitted and for a second she thought he was going to leave her be, but his voice kept persistent on a conversation "but this is just another one of your plans to make me feel like I can't get to know you. Why do you do that Kate? Why do you push me away so much? Surely I'm not that bad."

She shrugged and bit her lip, he had been bang on, and contemplating what to answer her voice shook "No, you're not bad. I'm not pushing you away because I don't like you. It's just.. This, jack, is so pointless. This won't make me a better person; I don't understand why my mum sent you to talk to me. There's nothing wrong with me."

"I'm not a bad person." she added as an afterthought.

Then his large hand was on her small one "No, Kate you're not a bad person. Don't ever feel like I'm trying to say that. I'm here to help you get back to who you used to be."

"People change." Her voice was fighting for something, her green eyes delicately watering. She was letting him in.

"Yeah, but for the better. Not the worst. Don't you know how much of a waste it is you acting like this? It's such a waste for such a pretty _smart_ girl to throw her life away for nothing. You're still so young and fragile and you keep fighting it. You keep telling yourself that you're right. That you've been through enough to know what you're doing, am I right Kate?"

She shook her head, disagreeing but her teary face made him see how she was silently agreeing with him "This is stupid." she admitted "Why am I crying? I'm perfectly fine, Jack."

"Are you?"

She grinned and wiped her eyes "Like I said before. You're a nice guy, and I don't want to be mean to you, but I'm not going to pour out my feelings that are in the past. This is who I am _now_."

He pulled at her wrists and showed the red scars that lay across them, some diagonal and some horizontal "One, two, three, four, five, six." He counted, pressing his fingertip into each one separately. "What are those six scars for Kate? What do they mean?"

She pulled her wrist back and stood up, wiping her face in her sleeve "Just go away. I don't want to be mean. Please." Her voice turned to a hiss willing him to go "_Please_."

So he did, leaving the beautiful girl standing alone in her bedroom. She was so beautiful when she cried, she looked nothing like those other woman he dealt with, whose faces scrunched up into a ball and turned bright red and sobbed. Her tears fell silently across her pale _perfect_ face. He shook reminding himself she was sixteen, of course she'd be prettier than middle-aged women.


End file.
